Michele Triplett's Fingerprint Terms ©
A collection of over 800 terms used in the Science of Fingerprint Identification.

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N-Dodecylamine Acetate
Chemical used in the preparation of the detergent solution in 
Physical Developer.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

NCIC
National Crime Information Center.

NCIC Classification
An alpha/numeric system of fingerprint classification.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

NFB
National Fingerprint Board (of England and Wales).  An adjunct to the ACPO.

NIST
National Institute of Standards and Technology.

NSFO
The National Society of Fingerprint Officers was an organization that 
started in 1975.  This organization was later renamed 'The Fingerprint 
Society'.

NV
The common abbreviation for ‘No Value’, usually indication that an 
impression has no value for identification purposes.

Nanometer
A metric unit of measurement equal to 1 billionth of a meter.  Commonly 
used to measure light.

Nanoparticle Powder
A new fluorescent fingerprint powder designed in 2003 by Professor Fred 
Rowell of the University of Sunderland, England, for latent print recovery.  
This new powder is comprised of glass like nanoparticles imbedded with 
fluorescent material.  Since this powder involves nanotechnology, it adheres 
better than standard powders to older latent prints and produces a much 
better resolution with both old and new latent prints.  With this technology 
smaller characteristics in a latent print may be able to be seen making 
smaller partial images more usable.  This product is still in the 
experimental testing phase (Dec. 2004) but is expected to be released soon.  
Previous research has been conducted by such agencies as the University of 
Texas with regard to a magnetic nanoparticle powder but the results didn't 
provide good contrast between the substrate and the matrix.

Naphthalene Black
See Amido Black
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

Nascent
Coming into existence.
The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=nascent

Refers to an incipient ridge.

National Bureau of Identification
See Bureau of Criminal Identification.

National Society of Fingerprint Officers
See NSFO.

Negative Impression (Negative Print)
See Take Away Print.

Neumann, Cedric
Cedric Neumann was awarded his MS in Forensic Science in 1998 before 
undertaking his PhD studies in the interpretation of forensic evidence.  
During this time he also worked as a research assistant and lecturer at the 
University of Lausanne in Switzerland.  He joined the UK Forensic Science 
Service as a Senior Forensic Scientist to work on fingerprint interpretation 
research.  He is currently managing the Statistics and Interpretation research 
group of the FSS.  He is involved in a number of projects relating to fingerprints 
including the development of peer review procedures and training.  His main 
area of research is currently the validation and implementation of an operational 
evaluation tool based on a mathematical model for the assessment of fingerprint 
evidence for use in Probability Based Fingerprint Evidence (PBFE).  In January 
2007, Cedric Neumann article “Computation of Likelihood Ratios in Fingerprint 
Identification for Configurations of Any Number of Minutić”,  was published in 
the Journal of Forensic Science, Vol. 52 No. 1-Cédric Neumann, M.Sc.;  
Christophe Champod, Ph.D., etal

Ne'urim Declaration
In 1995, at the International Symposium on Fingerprints, a resolution 
was adopted.  It stated, "No scientific basis exists for requiring that 
a pre-determined minimum number of friction ridge features must be present 
in two impressions in order to establish a positive identification."  
This was a slight change from the 1973 IAI Resolution on the minimum 
number of characteristics needed to make an identification.  

Nile Red
A fluorescent dye stain used to visualize cyanoacrylate ester fumed 
friction ridge detail.   Optimum viewing is done with an alternate 
light source (450-560nm) and orange or red goggles. 

Ninhydrin
1,2,3-triketohydrindine hydrate.  Reagent that reacts with amino 
acids to develop friction ridge detail.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

Ninhydrin was first prepared in 1910 by the English chemist, 
Siegfried Ruhemann, who also investigated the formation of the 
violet compound (Ruhemann's Purple, or RP) produced by ninhydrin's 
reaction with amino acids. The significance of this discovery to 
forensic science went unnoticed until 1954, when Oden and von Hoffsten 
reported the use of ninhydrin as a fingerprint developing reagent 
that reacts with amino acids secreted from sweat glands. Although 
the content of amino acids in a fingerprint residue is low (compared 
to the content of salts and fatty acids), the RP produced from the 
reaction of these amino acids with ninhydrin is deeply colored, and 
the developed fingerprints are usually highly visible. Thus, ninhydrin 
has long been known as one of the most affordable and useful reagents 
for visualization of latent fingerprints on porous surfaces (such as 
paper, wood, and walls).  In cases where the developed fingerprints 
are weak, secondary treatment with an aqueous zinc chloride solution 
can improve the print's line resolution quality. Zinc chloride-treated 
prints can be observed as "glowing" (fluorescent) when
illuminated with light of a certain wavelength.
"New Reagents for Development of Latent Fingerprints", NIJ 1995
http://www.ncjrs.org/txtfiles/finger.txt 06-19-2003

Nitric Acid
Acid used in a fuming technique to visualize friction ridge detail 
on select metal surfaces.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

Non-identification
See Exclusion.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

Another opinion:  A latent print that has not been individualized 
due to an exclusion or missed identification.  Or not being able 
to establishing an association with a group or individual item.

Non-Porous
Non-absorbent.
SWGFAST, Glossary - Consolidated 09-09-03 ver. 1.0
http://www.swgfast.org/Glossary_Consolidated_ver_1.pdf

Non-secretor
See Secretor.

Nutant Loop
Also referred to as a lazy loop or a drooping loop.  When the core of 
a loop droops over toward the delta.  This usually occurs in the 
opposite hand as the slant, especially in the index fingers.



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Copyright © 2002-2008, Michele Triplett. All rights reserved.